A New Life
by JacquieFutureCullen
Summary: What happens when Edward is sick with The Spanish Influenza and becomes a vampire.
1. Change

EPOV

I lay in my hospital bed contemplating my situation. My life had seemed perfect. I had always been financially fortunate, my parents, Elizabeth and Edward, were loving and kind, and in a year I would be eligible to join the glory and valor of the war. My life was like a train, moving forward steadily, remaining on track, until one day it crashed into something known as the Spanish Influenza.

This wretched disease had ruined my family and future. I had lost my dad to the sickness, which weakened my mother further. I could see her slowly wasting away as she tried to tend to me from her bedside, when she was worse of than I was.

My mother lay in her bed at Chicago City Hospital. She looked at the edge of death, which frightened me to the core. Her breathing accelerated, and her face flushed. She looked like the fever was killing her from the inside out. Her face contorted itself into what could only be pain and discomfort.

"Dr. Cullen! Come quick!" I yelled. My doctor ran into my room, with extreme speed. I found that strange but was to worried about my mother, to think about anything else.

"What is it Edward? Are you alright?" he exclaimed, clearly worried. I had always thought Dr. Cullen favored my mother and I, but I couldn't be certain. I had never seen him with other patients.

"I'm fine. It's my mother. She looks flushed, and she's breathing quickly, and she looks like she's-" I couldn't bring myself to speak the last few words, "going to die". Dr. Cullen seemed to understand my unspoken words.

"Calm down Edward. Your mother will be fine. Now get some rest, you look like you could use it." That was an offer I couldn't refuse. I was exhausted. I had spent the last few hours monitoring my mother's condition while she slept, procrastinating my sleep for another time. I tried to calm myself, and slowly drifted towards un-consciousness.

CPOV

Edward soon fell asleep, clearly fatigued, and I began to check his mother's vitals. I had to admit, she didn't look good. She couldn't have more than a day left, and Edward was in no better condition. As I examined her I could see that she was about to awake.

Elizabeth Masen opened her eyes, and looked at her son, as worry clouded her eyes. She seemed to ruminate for a moment, than turned to face me. The intensity and seriousness of her face surprised me.

"Dr. Cullen, I know I am not far from death, but I cannot bear for my beloved son to follow after me. You have to save him." She said.

"I'll try my hardest Mrs. Masen." I vowed mollifying her. Her son was almost as worse as she was. As much as it pained me, I wasn't sure there was anything I could do to save him.

She gripped my hand and stared into my eyes, and I could tell she could see through my façade. "You are special," she stated, "You must do for him what others cannot."

For a moment I was paralyzed with fear. Did she know what I was? No that was impossible. This generation thought my kind, vampires, were the stuff of myths and fables. She couldn't want me to change her son into an immortal undead, but the offer stuck. I looked at Edwards face. For centuries I had contemplated the idea of creating a companion, an ally to share my way of life with. The loneliness of immortality was hard. I could only stay in one place until my story grew old, and then I had to find a new place to live. For centuries I moved from place to place, alone.

As I looked at Edward's face. I saw the purity, the innocence of his expressions; it was the face I would want my son to have. Could I change him? I certainly had the restraint; I had denied my thirst for three centuries so I could do the work I love without restraint. I had to follow my instincts. I would change this boy into my companion, share my philosophy with him, and hope that he would stay with me.

I would not be condemning him to this life. He was on the verge of death; I would not be taking his chance at humanity away from him. I had considered all this so quickly that Mrs. Masen hadn't noticed a pause. "Promise you will save him," she pleaded.

"I promise," I vowed, "I will save him."

"Thank you," she said, and with that her heartbeat ceased.

I wheeled Mrs. Masen to the morgue, than returned for Edward. He lay there still asleep, and I gingerly picked him up. He was deep asleep, so he didn't notice the coldness of my skin, a trademark of my kind.

The doctors were all frazzled, they would not notice if someone went missing. There wasn't enough staff to keep track of the death toll or the patient's needs.

I carried Edward from rooftop to rooftop. The jumps were easy, and I could see every precise detail in the dark as well as if it was day. Quickly we were at the dilapidated, abandoned building I occupied.

I was unsure of the exact transformation process of a vampire, so I knew I had to replicate the wounds I had received. I felt guilty putting him in pain, but it was the only way. I inclined my head towards his neck.

EPOV

A sudden pain coursed through my body. It was worse than I ever imagined pain could be. It felt as if I was being tortured with every method in existence and a thousand more. The pain was so staggering, but through it all I could sense the thoughts of someone. I had always had the ability to accurately guess others thoughts, but this was different, this was definite, concrete. The thoughts centered on guilt and worry. I opened my eyes and things were very defined. I could see Dr. Cullen sitting a few feet to my right. He saw me wake, walked over to me, and sank down to the ground.

"I know you're in extreme pain, but you must listen to me. I must explain to you something of great importance," he said.

I obeyed and listened as he had instructed, trying without much success to ignore the intense pain.

He sighed and than began, "I am no ordinary human. I am something you believe to be a myth," he paused, took a deep breath, and resumed, "I am a vampire, and soon you will become one too." I was frozen with shock; this had to be some ruse. He started again, "I am different than others of our kind. I do not feed on humans, but on animals instead. You may join my way of life if you like, or you may go your own way. But, be warned, your first year will be very difficult if you join me, you will be crazed with human blood lust, but I would help you, keep you under control."

This was all too much for me to comprehend. "I will join you, but Dr. Cullen. What is this pain?"

"This is all a normal part of the transformation process, and please call me Carlisle. I will explain more in due time, but I'm sure it's hard for you to ignore this pain," he stated. He was right and I sunk back into the pain, not attempting to stay in the present or respond.

As a boy I had been taught that men did not show pain, so I kept my eyes closed, as I was burned alive. Occasionally a scream would escape my lips and Carlisle would apologize as I writhed in pain. Even worse than the pain, was knowing what I was becoming.

Suddenly the pain reached a new high, and my heart beated faster than a freight train. I screamed and my back arched, and then with my heart, the pain ceased. I opened my eyes to the wonder.

CPOV

Edward's heart rate increased and I could tell from his movements that the pain was increasing. It was almost over; soon his heart would give up its fight against the venom. His back arched, and a final scream escaped his lips, and then he opened his eyes.

I could see the confusion and wonder in his blood red eyes. He sat up and looked around as if he was dreaming. I knew the feeling. The moment you woke up to immortality was amazing. It seemed as if you had never seen anything, everything was so clear and precise, and it was shocking. I slowly moved over to him, as I knew first hand the aggression of newborn vampires. I sat down, took a deep breath, and got ready to explain to this boy what he had become.

EPOV

The clarity of the world was amazing. It was if I had never seen a wooden floor before, or a shutter. I could see every precise grain of wood without trying. I knew Carlisle was coming because he was telling me how worried he was, and that he was going to explain things. I thought it was odd of him to voice that. Why bother, when he was about to perform the action.

He sat down, inhaled deeply and began to speak. "Now I know you must be incredibly thirsty right now, but there are some things I must explain before we hunt." The word hunt caught me off guard, I remembered him telling me we would prey on animals. How would I be able to catch an animal? He remained speaking and voicing his concerns to me, somehow speaking without moving his lips. But of much more importance was the intoxicating, addicting aroma right outside the window.

I jumped to my feet, and without a second thought, leaped out of the window and into the streets of Chicago. I ran faster than I thought to be possible, and traced through the alleys, seeing every detail and tracking the delicious mouthwatering scent. I could tell I was getting closer because I could smell the scent becoming more poignant. I saw the figure of a human and stalked him down the alley. A cat hissed in my direction and the man whipped around and his eyes widened in shock.

His mouth opened and his scent intensified. He was screaming what is it? It looks crazed, like it wants to kill me! Why was he referring to me in third person? I couldn't ponder that further for my throat was burning in extreme pain. I took one breath, and leaped at him.

My teeth sank into his skin as if nothing was there, and the sweet blood warmed me to the core, smothering the pain in my throat. He was screaming, and soon his screams gurgled off and he became limp. I had drunk him dry of blood. I pushed the cadaver of my body disgusted. What had I just done? I sank to the pavement and heard and smelt Carlisle running towards me. He stopped and looked at me. He must be disgusted, for he did not feed on humans.

"Edward," he began calmly, "Everything's all right. Let's head back to the building. I followed his instruction and followed him back to the building, ignoring his rambling. I jumped from balcony to balcony until I had the strategic position to leap through the window. I sat down, and prepared to listen as Carlisle came through the window. He sat down and began.

"Edward, do not be ashamed of what you have done. You were only following your instincts, your vampiric instincts. I told you that your first year would be very difficult, you will be constantly craving for blood, but you must practice control. You have become a vampire. You are immortal and extremely fast and strong." It seemed like he took a deep breath, but he remained talking.

"How do you do that?" I asked.

"Do what?" he responded.

"Talk with your mouth closed. You've been doing that a lot. Is that something that all our kind can do?"

"I don't know what you mean Edward. I haven't been talking." He paused and recongnition flashed across his eyes. "Hmm, perhaps this is your power," he said.

"What power?' I questioned.

"Edward. What number am I thinking of?"

"Four." I answered. He was telling me himself, why ask?

"Edward. I think you can read minds." I was shocked. Could I really be a mind reader? Apparently I was. That would explain a lot. Carlisle continued, "I believe that when you become a vampire, you bring on your strongest trait from your human life. You must have been sensitive to others thoughts, and now that trait is magnified."


	2. Carlisle

I sat disbelieving. This could not be happening to me. I could not be one of the eternally damned, but there was no other explanation. The mind reading, the speed, the amplified senses, and the blood lust just proved that I was a- vampire.

Who was this man other than my doctor? I knew nothing but his name and that somehow he was a vampire and a doctor simultaneously.

"Tell me about yourself. How'd you become- one of us."

Carlisle sighed and began. "I was born in the 1600s. I'm not sure exactly when, time was not marked well for common people, but I know it was before King Arthur's rule."

"My father was a clergy man, he led hunts when witches, werewolves, and vampires, weren't the objects of fables. When I was 21, he let me lead my own hunt. I was more careful, less quick to accuse monsters where they didn't exist. I was somewhat of a disappointment. After a while I discovered a true coven of vampires living in the sewers below London.

"When we charged they attacked. One stopped and faced us. I don't know why, he could have easily out run us, maybe he was to crazed from lack of blood, but for some reason he did. He attacked me, as I was the closest. It was very painful, but I knew what I was becoming. I crawled into a cellar, and hid in a barrel of potatoes.

I remained quiet as I was changed, and emerged immortal. I was disgusted with what I had become. I tried to kill myself, starving myself, throwing myself from great heights, and drowning myself. I didn't die. I was hiding in a cave, when a herd of deer crossed the opening. Half-crazed with thirst I attacked. I had completely satiated my thirst when I had an epiphany. I had eaten venison in my former life hadn't I? Why not now?"

I swam the channel to France, studying by night, with an eternity to learn. I practiced controlling my thirst so that I can do the work I love. Knowing that I can do things others can't and save a life is a wonderful thing.

I eventually made my way to a city called Volterra, Italy. There I discovered a large society of vampires called the Volturi. It consisted of: Aro, Caicus, and Marcus, nighttime patrons of the arts. These three brothers had a guard. This guard consisted of vampires with very special gifts. Aro can read minds like you, but he needs to touch you, and then he can read every thought you've ever had. Marcus can read relationships; he can feel the intensity between people. The members of the guard's gifts are even more threatening. Jane can cause you extreme pain, and Alec can completely cut off your senses, like a powerful anesthetic.

I lived with them for a few decades, and they tried to dissuade me from my "alternate food source" as they called it. We had different morals, and I eventually went my own way. I went from place to place studying, and working at hospitals, eventually having to move on when I didn't age.

And so I came to Chicago, taking the seldom-wanted night shift during the influenza so I could save lives. I had taken a liking to you and your mother, always a dangerous thing for my kind. Right before your mother died she pleaded to me to save you. To do whatever necessary to make sure you lived. I was lonely in my way of life. I had no companion, and when I looked at your face, saw the pureness and innocence, I knew that was the face I would want my son to have, so I changed you."

I sat there, at a loss for words as I contemplated that situation.


End file.
